The Jam Man and Sean Flanagan© Photo Healy Racing
The Jam Man provided owner/trainer Ronan McNally with a huge payday when landing the €80,000 eCOMM Merchant Solutions Handicap Hurdle at Navan.
The Papal Bull gelding completed a quick hat-trick in staying handicap hurdles across the water for the Armagh handler during the summer but was an unconsidered 33/1 chance here following a five-month break.
However, he travelled sweetly into the three miles feature and headed 6/4 favourite just before the final flight.
Sean Flanagan rode him out to assert on the run-in and was three lengths clear of the market-leader at the line.
Gran Geste ran a fine race another two and a half lengths back in third, while top-weight Sire Du Berlais kept on one paced into fourth a further ten lengths adrift.
A delighted McNally said, "This sounds stupid but I looked at Paisley Park's form last year and he was rated 140 starting off the season and I thought if I aim him at a good pot or two and he wins he's a Stayers Hurdle horse.
“He's very fast but it's bizarre because over 2m4f last year it didn't seem the right trip so I stepped him up. He seems to be able to travel and then he has gears at the end for the three-milers. He's awesome.
“I haven't killed him with work so he's going to improve massively from that. That was a big pot today and we'll have to aim for the big guns now.
“He's won nine for me and he's only six. I bought him for €10,000. The fella that owned him was killed in a car accident and that's how I ended up buying him - it's a fairytale!
“My son 'Tubs' rides him out at home. Anything he does is easy, he's nice to work with and nice to ride. He's won over fences, he's won on fast ground and won on soft ground. The dream is alive and we have a couple at home that we are thinking are maybe along the same lines.
“I was going to jump four hurdles the other day with him and jumped two he was absolutely electric. He's a different horse to last year.
"I took him here on Wednesday, I haven't been hard on him and he's barely ready for that. He won a bit of work over a mile-and-four. I rode him like a complete ass! I got to the front after about four furlongs because he was so quick and I thought 'what am I going to do now. I just sat there and let him finish out and he was awesome.
“I didn't have a penny on him today and just want to go and enjoy him now. He's going to be a fun horse as he's at the rating now that we're going to go and have a few nice days.
“I'll probably go to England for one of those trials. I'm looking at what Paisley Park was going in last year. He started at 140 and we started at 139 but we went the hard road and have earned our mark. He didn't just run in a novice hurdle and end up with 140.
“He's built up through the ranks and has improved. It might sound stupid thinking of the Stayers Hurdle and he could go for a Pertemps or something like that but you can dream anyway.”
(GC & AM)
